A Day Without Shoes

Over dinner one night, I revealed to a few of my fellow interns my fear of feet, specifically adult feet.  We established that I may have podophobia: an irrational fear of feet.  You may think that I should consider taking a quick course in dinner convo dos and don’ts, or consider seeking psychiatric help; however, I guess I feel I have bigger fish to fry than to try to acquit myself of this fear.  We discussed other phobias and how many people overcome theirs by simply “facing” them.  I certainly am not at a place in my life to face my peculiar fear, but I am happy to say that a trip the following day to Meenashki Amman Temple helped me take one step (well, many steps really) towards defeating podophobia.

This beautiful Hindu temple is located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, and devoted to Meenashki, an avatar of Parvati, one of the few female Hindu deities to have a major temple named for her.  Before entering the temple, visitors must remove both socks and shoes to be held outside.  Thousands of devotees and tourists visit this temple daily, and from the lines of barefoot men, women, and children, I and my fellow interns seemed to be visiting on a busy day.  I must admit: at first, I was not keen on sauntering around where so many people have trod, and for some time I tip-toed around to minimize my foot-to-ground contact.  Though, with each step against the granite flooring, my focus shifted to the detailed sculptures and the passionate faces of those around me.

I wandered through the courtyard of the surrounding towers covered entirely with small, colorfully-painted figurines.  I trekked the portico of the temple tank, Porthamarai Kulam, lined with paintings and literature writings.  I glided through the smooth floors of the Thousand Pillars Hall, amazed at the unique detail of the 1,000+ pillars.  I watched the religious bow to, pray at, kiss on, and anoint over statues of various gods and animals.  I smelled jasmine offerings, heard the rhythms and drums of the priests’ rituals, and listened to our guide explain the dedication of the Hindu believers’ actions.  In the end, I better understood the high visitor traffic.  I respected the bare feet.

Although I haven’t decided to change my studies to podiatry, my visit to Meenashki has changed my outlook.  Why not live with a passion as those I observed?  Why let a fear keep me from walking mindful of the perspective of my fellow mankind?  Meenashki was more than a simple tourist visit, and I could recount facts we learned about the place.  I feel, however, that I should refrain from a boring regurgitation of words.  Visit the temple, observe the devotion and tradition, hear the stories, walk the walk—barefoot is surprisingly good for our tootsies!